VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

The 7th ASEAN Traditional Textile Symposium (ATTS) 2019 in Yogyakarta was officialy opened with the striking of kenong or small gong by chairperson of the organizing committe Gusti Kanjeng Ratu (GKR) Hemas, Chair of WastraPrema Adiati Arifin Siregar, and Arofa Noor Indriyani, representing Regional Secretary of Yogyakarta Special Region on Tuesday, November 5. After the opening ceremony, Gusti Kanjeng Ratu (GKR) Hemas and the Empress of the King of Malaysia, Tunku Hajah Azizah had a close look at the textile exhibition located at the Royal Ambarukmo pavilion. GKR Hemas told the press about the Malaysian Empress opinion on Indonesian textiles, especially batik.

"They are all really fond of batik. After seeing batik here, they usually make Batik in Malaysia, starting from the design, everything, but it's okay, it's okay because, clearly they cannot use the canting or special pen form making batik And usually Malaysian batik are more contemporary. I think we really have to give undestandig, to give Indonesian nuance in Batik abroad," said Gusti Kanjeng Ratu (GKR) Hemas.

On the same occasion, GKR Hemas also said that the challenges faced by Indonesian traditional textiles are raw materials. She hoped the government could pay attention to raw materials for craftsmen, such as "wax" or batik wax, natural dyes, and so on so that the craftsmen could improve the production of regional textile crafts. GKR Hemas also said that the development of Indonesian batik was quite significant with the presence of many new weaving techniques. (VO/IHSAN/AHM)